The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-09-09

y%Sl&5S98IS,, one go by at sea-
%G, &ll5[T50/N&T on the Sunderland's
~ 'S" shipping papers. 1t
wasn't so much the name itself or the
handwriting like a custom house clerk
as it was the look of good breeding
about the handsome young chap, which
sailor clos and a suspicion of board
ing house whisky couldn't hide.
For he wasn't the first well brought
up fellow that's been driv' reckless by
one thing or another-generally speak
ing, n woman-and drifted off to sea.
Such one is pretty sure to hide his
self under a nom dee plOOm, as the
French call it, rather than drag a de-
cent family name into dirty TO csle.
Twenty-Five years ago l did the same
thing, and to-day I'm as surely lost at
sea to those l left behind, as though
was laying on bottom in sixty fathom.
Maybe Jack suspicioned something
of this. l don't always talk sea slang
even aboard ship. And occasionally a
bit of my old self which has got par
celled over with tarred canvas and
served with spun yarn shows through
where the wear and tear of sea life has
chafed. Any way, after we was chose
in the same watch, he picked me out
for a chum. But to this day don't
know what his name was. He was
Jack Tarr to the end of the chapter.
The Sunderland was an old ship
deep loaded with general cargo from
New York to Yokohama, Japan. There
were two lady passengers in the cabin,
though we for ard never laid eyes on
'em by reason of sea sickness till the
ship was thirteen days out in good
weather to the south ard Of the Ber-
mOodas.
was to the wheel the first morning
Miss Doris come on deck-it being
bright and tolerable smooth, with a
warm wind we'll aft Cap'n Jones fixed
her stool to wind ard of the wheel and
left her, not being much used to lady
passengers. But for the first few
minnits /, being younger than I am
now, couldn't take my eyes off'n her.
My word though, sir, she was a hand
some piece; straight as the r'yal pole,
with hair and eyes like a Spanish
Senorjtd'S, and a smile-well. it would
set mans heart to beating every
time.
1t was Jacks relief at four bells. /
remember thinking as he come swing
ing along to loo ard, that he was what
the story papers used to call the beau
idedl of a sailor. He was nigh elk foot,
with broad shoulders, n slim waist,
clear skin just touched with sea-tan
and one of them silky black mustaches
that most young wimmin like to feel
against their own upper lip.
As Jack stepped on the wheel graf
ing, lee lurch come nigh to upsetting
Miss Doris stool and he sprung for ard
Just in time to straighten her up. Her
shade hat flew oh-and for minnit /
domino which turned the palcst-she or
Jack.
my God" / heard him say low-like,
but he pulled hisself together, and
when he took the spokes and l give
him the course his face were as hard
and set as a craven imige. Miss Doris
Jest glanced at him once with dretful
frighted look in her big black eyes and
went below, while l started for'ard
''marveling," as the good book says.
Well, what little Jack chose to tell
me in the watch below wasn't any
the coincidence that they too should
have happened aboard the same ship
four years after she'd played with his
heart and tossed il back when she got
tired. BY reason of which he allowed
that his life was ruined. so he went to
the devil ahying, listed in the navy,
was discharged and shipped IN the
Sunderland after q big spree
Miss Doris didn't break her heartl
Not she! She KEEP on flirting and
now she was going 10 YokOhama-so
the steward told us-tO marry a tea
merchant she'd correspondent with
quite a spell. He was old enough to be
her father, but worth over a million.
And Miss Doris chose 10 go ont in
sailing ship. as she afterward said, for
the sake of "a new sensation" And /
guess, all things considered, she had il.
Whether she really wanted to ask
Jack, on whoever he was, TO forgive
her, or whether, as is most likely, it
was the old fiirtatious mater asserting
itself, l don't know, but maybe Jack
did. Anyhow, on the sly. Miss Doris
tried in a thousand little ways 20 get a
word or look from Kim. But, Lord.
she might as we'll have made eyes to a
stone statue He'd never so much as
glance to'ards her nor Miss Grayson.
Der aunt, when they was on deck. and
! could see it was fretting Miss Doris
Tremendous. But he nor never men,
toned &c to one another.
We had a fine run round the cape,
through the Sunda straits. and 10 the
norward OF the Fhillipines-the old
nan chuckling over his quick run from